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Miss Sophie: Special Halloween treats for your other best friends

Life at my house has been a zoo — literally. When my daughter came to the house to recuperate from her surgery, she brought Pickle, her dachshund, and Megatron, her very big white cat. Since we already have two dogs in the house, the addition of her two pets has made for some pretty interesting times over the past few weeks.

Pickle and Sophie, our oldest sheltie, have been friends for years and are always glad to see each other. Sophie has been around Megatron, too, so she didn’t mind his presence. Our youngest sheltie, Savannah, likes Pickle but she wasn’t too sure about that cat slinking around the corners of her house. I knew she wouldn’t hurt Megatron, but for the first few days, she would chase him down the hallway and back into the guest room every time he appeared. Savannah finally decided Megatron was all right and quit chasing and growling at him. Megatron now entices Savannah to chase him, then jumps up on the back of the couch, looks down at her and flips his tail sharply in victory.

Sophie, our caretaker, sensed things weren’t right with Loraine. She kept a check on her throughout the day, sometimes lying at her door, other times lying next to her bed. Sophie’s behavior didn’t surprise me. The last time we visited Steve’s parents in Asheville, N.C., his mother fell while the rest of us were gone. Thankfully she wasn’t hurt in the fall, but she wasn’t able to get up from the floor by herself. She said Sophie lay down on the floor beside her and didn’t leave her side until we returned.

We haven’t lacked for love at our zoo. Pickle, who sleeps completely covered with a blanket, wants to sit right next to you, so he starts inching his way over to you the minute you sit down. You can’t help but laugh as a blanket comes to life creeping across the couch toward you. Savannah, who likes to sleep on — not at — our feet while we’re watching TV, will periodically kiss a foot as if to say “I love you.” Megatron’s affection time is 4 a.m. He slips into the bedroom, gets right next to me, then reaches over and lightly taps my cheek with his paw. He wants me to wake up and pet him. If I quit stroking him too soon, he will tap my petting hand with his paw. I do wish he would move this act to a little later in the morning, but I have to admit it is so sweet that I usually wake up and give him his way.

It hasn’t been all fun, but Steve, our zookeeper, has been a real champion about our expanded occupancy. With an extra bowl to be filled with food twice a day, and a water bowl that seems to always be empty, it has been a chore for him. Adding Pickle into the mix has messed up his daily routine with Savannah and Sophie. Sophie and Savannah know their boundaries, but Pickle likes to “explore” and has to be watched closely.

Of course the job of zookeeper has its perks. He is the favorite, and it is obvious. All he has to say is “I think you’ve been good” and the three dogs rush to the kitchen, sit in a perfect row and wait patiently for him to pass out the treats. Pickle caught on to that routine real quick!

Since I have so enjoyed our visiting pets, I decided to dedicate this week’s article to healthy fall pet treats. Pets bring so much joy and comfort into our lives that they deserve some of your kitchen time, too. Cook them one of these special treats, and they’ll love you even more, if that is possible.

Teri Bell is co-owner of Miss Sophie’s Marketplace at the Mighty Eighth in Pooler. Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.

Fall Pumpkin Bones

Steve puts a spoonful of pumpkin on our dogs’ food every day. It is full of vitamins and helps their digestive process. When buying canned pumpkin, make sure you only buy real pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling.

1/2 Cup Water

1 Egg

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon Molasses

1/2 Cup Pumpkin

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water, egg, molasses, and oil. Add pumpkin and stir until blended well. Mix in flour 1/2 cup at a time until stiff dough forms.

Place on floured surface and roll to ½ inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Place cookies on an ungreased sheet pan and 1 inch apart. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn cookies over and bake another 10 minutes.

For a dry crunchy cookie, turn oven off and leave cookies in oven for two hours. The treats will last longer without refrigeration this way.

Apple Cinnamon Cookies

One large apple, chopped finely

1/4 cup natural honey

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup oatmeal (not instant)

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the minced apple, honey, water, cinnamon and oatmeal. Add flour ½ cup at a time adding enough to form a stiff dough. Spoon the dough by rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball into a circle using the bottom of glass or a spoon dipped in flour. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip each cookie over. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes. Turn oven off. Leave cookies in oven for 2 hours or longer.